pete165

This Houllier attacking is getting crazy. He's building for the future and some people need some patience. Did Alex Ferguson worry when we beat his young mob 3-1 at Villa Park or did he see the big picture? I know it's disappointing where we are in the table, but we'll only improve with these players. I find it refreshing how brave he is. MON would not be experimenting as Houllier is, we'd probably have better results and then have people saying 'yeah, but we play rubbish football' and get annoyed that he wouldn't try anything new. give it time.

So NRC, Petrov on the bench, while Hogg and Delph start? Weird.

With players coming back, there's actually a bit of a headache if Ashley is fit! -------------------------------FRIEDEL------------------------------- --LICHAJ------------CUELLAR-------COLLINS------------WARNOCK ---------------------------------NRC------------------------------------ ---ALBRIGHTON--------------A.YOUNG------------------DOWNING- ----------------------HESKEY---------AGBONLAHOR--------------------

Soon we'll be able to play: -----------------------FRIEDEL---------------------------------- ---LICHAJ---------CUELLAR------COLLINS------WARNOCK----- ---ALBRIGHTON---PETROV-----DOWNING-----A.YOUNG----- --------------------AGBONLAHOR---HESKEY-------------------- With a bench of: GUZAN, YOUNG, DUNNE, NRC, PETROV, NRC, DELPH, CAREW. Ain't bad to me. And that's without anyone arriving.

---------------------------Friedel----------------------------- --Beye---------Cuellar----------Dunne---------Warnock--- --Albrighton-----Bannan-------Ireland---------Downing---- --------------------Young-------------------------------------- --------------------------------Heskey------------------------- Obviously that's a light midfield, but with NRC, Petrov etc out, what else do we have - Hogg? Please no!

come on mate, keep it together. worse things happen in life than aston villa being on a bad run of form.

We played pretty well all game, dominated and got unlucky with that deflection. They hardly had a kick and we looked a decent side. Let's not let disappointment turn our football brains into mush. We're on a bad run and need a change of fortune, but since Houllier took over he hasn't had much of that A wonder-strike from Macheda, a couple of deflections, etc and all these injuries. No major problems and, despite everything, we're still a better side than last season.

We played pretty well all game, dominated and got unlucky with that deflection. They hardly had a kick and we looked a decent side. Let's not let disappointment turn our football brains into mush. We're on a bad run and need a change of fortune, but since Houllier took over he hasn't had much of that A wonder-strike from Macheda, a couple of deflections, etc and all these injuries. No major problems and, despite everything, we're still a better side than last season.

Neutral View - funnily it doesn't use the words 'shite', 'hopeless' or 'Houllier out' BBC Text: 2011: Aston Villa, meanwhile, continue to dominate possession against Birmingham - 65% of it in fact. The goal aside, this has been a fine start from Gerard Houllier's men. Yes, I realise that's a fairly significant aside...

This is the sort of game where Carew might actually be quite handy. Bannan isolated. We look a bit dodgy at the back.

we've been magnificent so far, despite going behind.

posts like this give Villa 'fans' a bad name. Disgraceful. You've watched us start brightly with a midfield full of kids and you're turning off because we conceded. Ridiculous - more than that, absolutely shameful.

we were about 2 mins more away from none too!

Well this afternoon is in some sense the perfect time for us and the rest of the world to get a glimpse at our academy. We could be playing the first team and lose in the last minute or something Man United-like, so we've little to lose in truth. That's why Collins' winner was so crucial on Wednesday; those two extra points are effectively like draws today and next week which we no longer need. It'll be a magnificent and huge test for Bannan, Hogg, Albrighton, etc. and it'll speed their development playing against United, no question. I'll put my cards on the table and say that at the start of the season, I said to my mates in the pub: "We're not going to go down this season - nor are we getting Europe - I just want a season of seeing the youngsters and trying to play some better football". I genuinely believe I'm getting my wish now.

Same old? We used to regularly get points from games like this one. Agree it's shocking not to have a single shot on goal after going down 2-1 in the 75th minute. It is same old, we sit back and allow these goals. between 55 and 70 we were in the ascendancy knocking it about really well. They scored because it was an open game where we didn't take our chances and they did - two bad goals to concede but Crouch is a handful. Calm down and stop getting paranoid about us sitting too deep - we actually didn't do that today too much at all.

not on form but still our most dangerous player

I'm astonished by that comment. If you think that our performance today in a very even contest away at a team that won a Champions' League game 4-1 last time out and came 4th in our league last year is 'shocking', you don't know much about football. Sorry, but it's as simple as that. A good game of premier league footy from two good teams - 2-1 about right because they took their chances, but lots of good signs.

erm.....why? are we 4-0 down? The game I'm watching is nicely poised at 1-1 and as Spurs push on we can hit them on the break. Or maybe it's just me.....

Bit of a strange one - Crouch won a header at the far post and as it came back across, both Luke and Dunne were stationary as Van Der Vaart put the header in. Quite simply, he jumped an Dunne didn't - instead he appeared to sort of 'head' thin air, which was strange - a misjudgment but not getting off the ground for it or reacting was unlike him. No need to be pessimistic - 1 each at half-time still all to play for. Quite why everyone seems to see us concede and then turn their streams off because 'we'll definitely lose' is beyond me. Yes, we were winning and it's now level - but the home side are a champions' league team and have pushed for an equaliser. That's not a big drama. Keep supporting the Villa people; one equaliser does not mean ultimate destruction! We might well lose now as they are at home and a good team - but if you give up at 1-1 what's the point in supporting anyone?!!!!!

An excellent half - strong at the back, patient on the ball, almost no long balls - all on the deck - and some lovely movement and interchanging of positions. Albrighton excellent too. Just a shame we're not 2 or 3 up - I think we had our luck against Everton and may rue our lack of clinical finishing.

brilliant first touch by young marc - then a lovely ball in too. real talent.

Just watching SSN - reporter commented in his interview with Gerrard that Houllier is over for Carragher's testimonial. Gerrard said he couldn't wait to catch up with him and called him 'exactly the guy villa need in my opinion' - went on to say that Houllier's arrival made Liverpool a really good team and led to them winning trophies. Gerrard came across as loving the guy and he knows a little bit - said he was a great boss and a good guy. Let's hope while he's over someone gets an interview.

I agree with this and If Moyes is not coming then I think its got to be the only other option. Soccernet reporting hes been interviewed. Surely weve got to believe hes a better appoitment than Curbs, Houllier etc....? It's quite simple: Sven is a brilliant football manager with incredible contacts, brilliant knowledge of the game in this country, Europe and the world, with great English and a point to prove. We'd be mad to pass him up considering he's not in work.

I like to think I know quite a bit about our beautiful game and I wonder if I'm missing something about this whole Sven thing. For me, he'd be an absolute steal and on paper, as good a manager as we've had in a long long time. He's won titles, trophies, worked in many top league with many top players. As a reminder: -League and Cup double in three different countries (inc Italy) prior to England job - only man ever to do that, I believe. -Went back to Benfica - took them to European Cup final... -2nd most successful England manager statistically -Did double over Man United when he took over at City -Ivory Coast team said he did wonders with their team and they wanted him to continue He's got huge amounts of contacts abroad, got Man City playing the best football they ever have in recent times and I really can't see the issue. If anyone thinks he shouldn't get it because England didn't win a world cup, then think long and hard - how many top class managers have come out badly from our national job and shown quality everywhere else? I'd be delighted if he got the job and I love Aston Villa. I'm also very hard man to please in football, so, as I say, I wonder what I'm missing. I hope and pray he gets the chance to prove some people wrong on here. How on earth can there be someone with such an AMAZING managerial record, with a brilliant knowledge of the English, European and World game, who speaks great English and yet people say they want a reserve-team coach who hasn't a contact in the game?!!! Someone tell me what I'm missing.

I seem to remember someone claiming that they'd sleep with a donkey if MON left us when his odds shortened. If Moyes leaves Everton for us, I'll wine, dine and shag the donkey, then ride it round Villa Park, waving a claret and blue banner with 'I shagged this donkey because I doubted ITKs' emblazoned on it.